Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Gibson, Oklahoma 74434
Friday, November 1, 2002 11:50 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During cruise flight, the helicopter experienced an in-flight breakup. Witnesses observed what appeared to be tail rotor, and main rotor components separate from the helicopter as it flew overhead. One of the witnesses reported that a portion of the tail rotor separated, and as helicopter pitched to the right, the main rotor separated. Subsequently, the helicopter's main fuselage started to spin and descended vertically toward the ground. Another witness reported that he heard a "pop," and observed the main rotor slowing, wobbling, stop turning, break away from the helicopter, and travel forward of the helicopter. He reported that the helicopter pitched "nose forward and then fell almost vertical." The main rotor assembly was found approximately 450 feet east of the main wreckage site, and the tail rotor components were found with the main wreckage. Metallurgical examination revealed that the left cluster fitting lugs (P/N 269A2234), which attached to the left tail boom strut, failed due to fatigue.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight separation of the tail boom resulting from the failure of the fuselage to tail boom attachment fitting lugs, due to fatigue.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/1/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1150 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Fort Gibson |
| Event State | OKLAHOMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 74434 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 354635N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0950811W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MKO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 610 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.5 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15676 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 1 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1230 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2004 12:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8885F |
| NTSB Number | FTW03FA028 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Hughes |
| Aircraft Model | 269A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 730261 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 49 |
| Airframe Hours | 1506 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Tundra Resources Corporation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9051 S. Airport Way |
| Aircraft Owner City | Tulsa |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 74132 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Cookson |
| Departure State | OK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1100 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RVS |
| Destination City | Tulsa |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 26 2004 8:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |